The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Musa intinerans var. xishuangbannaens known as ‘MeKong Giant’, and is hereinafter referred to as ‘MeKong Giant’. ‘MeKong Giant’ is a new cultivar of hardy banana grown for landscape use.
The Inventor selected the new cultivar, ‘MeKong Giant’, as a single unique plant in a seedbed at his nursery in Louisville, Ky. in 1993. The seedbed had been planted with 500 seeds collected from an unnamed plant of Musa intinerans var. xishuangbannaens. The male parent is unknown.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished utilizing root cuttings by the Inventor in Eustis, Fla. in 2003. Asexual reproduction by root cuttings and in vitro propagation of the new cultivar has shown that the unique features of ‘MeKong Giant’ are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.